Bonaire vs. Grand Cayman

[Drew Sailbum]

worlddiver once bubbled...
The East End does not have any shore diving access.

Not quite, but shore diving is much easier on the west side with on-site dive ops.

There are a few exceptional shore dives out East. Babylon, McCurley's Wall, Black Forest, Northern Lights, Anchor Point, and Old Number 12 are all readily accessible from shore. A few other sites can be reached, but require local knowledge. In all cases, you must transport all of your own gear to the site as there is no on-site operator at any of these sites.

 

[psinyc]

thanks everyone, there's some great input here ... it looks like you really can't lose with either destination ...

 

[Grajan]

One more question - is there a better or worse time of year for diving the cobalt Coast?

We are thinking of going there in September.

Thanks

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Grajan once bubbled...
One more question - is there a better or worse time of year for diving the cobalt Coast?

We are thinking of going there in September.

Thanks

Cobalt Coast should have calmest seas in the summer months, on average. Winter months typically bring ENE to NE winds and a greater chance of diving being blown out on the North Wall.

Of course, September is peak hurricane time, so all bets are off if one is in the neighborhood.

 

[Grajan]

Good point - maybe Bonaire is a better bet at that time of year as it is south of the main hurricane track.

 

[Natasha]

Hi Drew:
Having met you on my last Cayman trip a few months ago, I hate to vote against Cayman. (Nice sharing Pizza with you)
But ...always a but, I vote for Bonaire.
IMHO unless money is not an object, then go for either one. But dollar for dollar, dive for dive, I believe Bonaire is by far the best value for Americans. Especially in the fall.

:sunny:

 

[squidgirlie]

Hi there--I just posted this reply on another thread, but thought Bonaire bound people on this thread might like these extra tidbits too....
I just returned from a research trip in Bonaire--didn't get to do as much diving as I would have liked, but I got to explore the topside of the island a little. If you go to Bonaire, be sure to go to Sand Dollar Condominiums and sign up for the cave snorkel tour with "Hank the caveman." Best $40 I ever spent! He takes you into amazing pristine caves--a word of caution--these caves get INSANELY hot, so be sure to drink lots of water beforehand! Sand Dollar also has a kayak trip through the mangroves that is supposed to be nice. If you are into interesting sights, geology, or blowholes, be sure to visit the Washington National park ($10 per person). It takes a while to drive through, and they want you OUT by 5:00, so plan to go early in the day--oh, the road through the park can get pretty choppy, so make sure you rent a 4-wheel drive Jimny or something similar. If you have more time out of the water, there is a road that goes around the salt mine--pretty cool operation to see! The same road takes you around a marshy area where we saw oodles of flamingos! And be sure to peek in the Slave Huts near the salt mine--you won't believe that 8 people used to sleep in there!
As far as restaurants go, there are a good number of them in Kralendijk--mexican, italian, french--pretty surprising! We liked one called The City Cafe, or something like that--it had bright tables and chairs. They had an Argentinian Grill special for two people--a hibachi FULL of grilled stuff brought to your table for $29.00! They also had a bunch of inrteresting vegetarian dishes. "The Lost Penguin" is good for lunch--the fruit salad is a great deal, and hits the spot on a hot day--don't go if you're in a hurry though--dining takes a little longer on Bonaire.
If you (or anybody else) would like any info, please feel free to send me a private email, I have been to Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman as well (we stayed on Brac and took a boat to Bloody Bay in Little Cayman for US$60). I would be happy to answer any questions that I can! I'm putting some pictures on the web--I'll have that site up soon so you can get a glimpse of things that aren't in travel guides (and you can snicker at unbecoming shots of my boyfriend and I--tee hee!).

 

[Warner Athey]

I have never been to Bonaire. I am a boat captain. We did take a yacht from Texas to Grand Cayman a few years ago. The beaches are beautiful and the water is crystal clear. It would be great for diving or banking. The beach is 7 miles long. Grand Cayman did not seem to be nearly as large as Bermuda. They did not have a marine operator. You could not make a phone call from a yacht like you could in the Virgin Islands. Now with cell phones that may have changed.

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board Warner....I suspect he has made up his mind, this thread is 5 1/2 years old.